From my in-box.

Alisa forwarded this email from her cousin:

“I’d love to make a winter salad but things like a “silicon” board and drying the produce..WHAT.  I like  to get my salad greens from the bag of salad section because it is  so much easier to throw some Romaine, baby spinach and sliced tomatoes and cucs into a bowl with feta and balsamic and olive oil.  We usually add some chicken.  So how about some stuff for those of us who have no clue what fennel is, don’t own any kind of board but a nice blue plastic cutting board and don’t know a ceramic dish from a little bit of pyrex.  Some of us don’t take pride in our kitchen ’cause we want to get in and out as FAST as possible, We’ve got multiple loads of laundry, kids to drive to swimming, basketball, brownies and two Dioramas due to the 3rd and 5th grade teachers by Friday.   Hold on ’cause while I was in the middle of crisping my greens the dog threw up on my oriental carpet, while I was cleaning it my greens got a bit over crispy, read BURNED.  LOL.  Its us ignorant American housewives who really need help, after all our chidren also deserve whole, clean food with out toxic substances that cause obesity and mess with our brain. ( because they have neurotoxins)  ………horrors, no wonder we are all suffering from anxiety disorders, we are probably consuming a stew of anxiety in our food.”

Sound familiar?  Reminds me of my restaurant days.

As she said, “no wonder we are all suffering from anxiety disorders.”  You are what you eat, or more precisely you are how you eat.  What are we rushing towards?  It is easy for me to write about cooking, sitting in my chair of Forty Years of Kitchen, so it is a bit unfair to suggest one go out and do everything I might suggest, but changing a habit begins with Intention then Action in small steps.  A friend of mine told me recently “we can’t save the world” – I would certainly agree, though it is possible to contribute to it’s improvement.  Over time, I hope to help.  So, charge ahead I shall, with a tiny comment for Cousin Sister.

Of course, a silicon baking pad is not essential, a piece of oiled foil or parchment baking paper works, too.  I would suggest sharp knives and a wooden cutting board (it is like the difference between wearing silk and burlap) – better, simple tools that do the job will make it more fun and easier.  I have suggested using the oven in a certain way, because it usually is less stressful (in the case of the “Finger Salad” – this was cook’s play).  Instead of kale, try tossing broccoli and cauliflower in oil, salt, pepper and some kid-friendly spice mixture (will write about this in one of my Paint Pot articles).  But, I will stick to kale for winter and it has been child-tested and child-approved.

Pick one thing your children love to eat and have them help you make it.  If you are roasting a vegetable, give them the timer, let them check the oven.  While this is happening, discuss the Diorama project.  When it is time to SIT DOWN to eat, don’t answer the phone, power down all the silicone chips, clear the table of everything but dinner.  And talk.  This is the best, cheapest, most effective therapy there is, it is great Family Time.  I promise, your children will remember for the rest of their lives the food memories you have created, long after the Diorama is cardboard trash.